The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Why so little trucks?
Just went to my first race and now I'm thinking about starting a team. I'm a truck guy though, the closest thing to a truck I seen at infinion was a Cherokee. Do truck do that bad in the races. I'm very familiar with Toyota trucks so I thought that would be a good platform. Yay nay
One reason is the weight limit, which is 4,000 pounds. Most full size trucks weigh more than that. A Toyota truck would be a fun platform! Not really competitive necessarily, but fun anyway.
A v-8 powered Toyota truck (Maximum Overdrive) showed up at Pointless and did OK! It was quick on the straights...
So they just don't handle very well compared to others. I figure it could be mad to handle just as well as a RWD rear straight axle car.
A true $500 Toyota truck is really used up. We have used a 1977 toyota long bed at three races in Houston. The second race it failed to complete a lap. If you look at the pictures from the last race at MSR-H we were driving the six wheel red and blue truck. On day one in the dry things were good, on day two in the wet we were n trouble.
We've seen quite a few Rangers...
I really liked that 77 Hilux. After getting involved with building one of these cars, well starting to build, I thought it would be cool to do a truck. I'm also a truck guy, and like Toyota's. I've owned a lot of them, and it got me thinking. It's pretty easy to come across a first gen Toyota with a 20R for under $500. I've bought two of them for less. And over the last few years I have developed some suspension kits for these trucks with lightweight control arms that swap to the second and third gen spindles and brakes. They don't cost a lot to build, just a lot of time. It wouldn't be that hard to upgrade the suspension up front and swap to a 4-link out back, stick a cam in the 20R and push it back about 8-10 inches into the firewall.
I really liked that 77 Hilux. After getting involved with building one of these cars, well starting to build, I thought it would be cool to do a truck. I'm also a truck guy, and like Toyota's. I've owned a lot of them, and it got me thinking. It's pretty easy to come across a first gen Toyota with a 20R for under $500. I've bought two of them for less. And over the last few years I have developed some suspension kits for these trucks with lightweight control arms that swap to the second and third gen spindles and brakes. They don't cost a lot to build, just a lot of time. It wouldn't be that hard to upgrade the suspension up front and swap to a 4-link out back, stick a cam in the 20R and push it back about 8-10 inches into the firewall.
your on all the forums. its steve_925 with the 73 hilux from marlin.
i was thinking first gen also, i could find one for next to nothing with some time. push the engine back a little, first gen 4x4 rear axle(so i can have a few different gear ratios to throw in it. im pretty sure they come with tortion bars up front so i would make a coil set up and run some sort of spring mixture out back. with some 4x4 fenders and wide tires. thats what im thinkin so far atleast
They just don't handle all that well and are typically pretty used up by the time they hit the $500 level. I'm sure you COULD do a truck that would fair pretty well...but you could put the same effort into a car and get the same results if not better.
Me personally I would love to try an S-10 since it shares a lot of stuff with my beloved G-body GM cars.
We've seen about 10 Lemons trucks so far. Off the top of my head: A few Rangers, several 70s/80s Toyotas, a couple of Nissans, a GMC Sonoma, a Jeep Cherokee, and a Chevy C10.
The highest placing Lemons truck is probably the Danger Ranger aka Crapsman Truck, which came in 7th overall in New Orleans last year. Most trucks do far worse, not because they're slow (for the most part they get around the track pretty well) but because they break down.
Twisted Minis wrote:I really liked that 77 Hilux. After getting involved with building one of these cars, well starting to build, I thought it would be cool to do a truck. I'm also a truck guy, and like Toyota's. I've owned a lot of them, and it got me thinking. It's pretty easy to come across a first gen Toyota with a 20R for under $500. I've bought two of them for less. And over the last few years I have developed some suspension kits for these trucks with lightweight control arms that swap to the second and third gen spindles and brakes. They don't cost a lot to build, just a lot of time. It wouldn't be that hard to upgrade the suspension up front and swap to a 4-link out back, stick a cam in the 20R and push it back about 8-10 inches into the firewall.
your on all the forums. its steve_925 with the 73 hilux from marlin.
i was thinking first gen also, i could find one for next to nothing with some time. push the engine back a little, first gen 4x4 rear axle(so i can have a few different gear ratios to throw in it. im pretty sure they come with tortion bars up front so i would make a coil set up and run some sort of spring mixture out back. with some 4x4 fenders and wide tires. thats what im thinkin so far atleast
Haha, I know. I started working on one and it really peaked my interest. I have a 2WD 8" axle sitting on the shop I figure I could use. Shares the same gears with the 4WD and Supra but is still 5 lug. They are torsion up front. I figured I would crawl around the junk yard looking for a Jaguar XJ. They come with coil overs from the factory, and have 2 on each side out back. I unfortunately threw some of them out a few years ago when I bought my XJ axle. I think they could be very cheap, I got the entire IRS axle with 4 coils for $200. Then you could have coil overs for all 4 corners. They might be a bit soft on the spring rate for the front though, since they use 2 per corner out back.
BONUS POINTS if you find a stolen and stripped xtreme and slap a iron block v8 in it.
The transformer Optimus Prime truck that just ran the Tx race handled really well. I am guessing it was because they were running 2 rear axels. So they had double the traction on the back. I was in a BMW E30 and it was able to hang wit me in the corners. I was really surprised.
The transformer Optimus Prime truck that just ran the Tx race handled really well. I am guessing it was because they were running 2 rear axels. So they had double the traction on the back. I was in a BMW E30 and it was able to hang wit me in the corners. I was really surprised.
We gave that truck a few six-wheels-off penalties, so it wasn't handling that well.
It's a terrible idea. You should do it.
bam2002 wrote:The transformer Optimus Prime truck that just ran the Tx race handled really well. I am guessing it was because they were running 2 rear axels. So they had double the traction on the back. I was in a BMW E30 and it was able to hang wit me in the corners. I was really surprised.
We gave that truck a few six-wheels-off penalties, so it wasn't handling that well.
Yeah I earned the first six wheels off. It was straight up driver error. I finally had clear track on the back straight and into diamonds edge. Because I was all alone I carried more speed but failed to break sooner. It was my first drive on the track, stuff happens. In the dry the truck was suprisingly good. On Sunday in the rain we were a menance on track.
It's a terrible idea. You should do it.
http://web.me.com/bfreehill/Site/the_Le … OP4537.jpg
That front bumper is worth over $100... should have sold it a bought a set of used corvette heads...
I like the truck idea
How about a ford ranger with a V8 350 chevy engine. It would be arocket on the straigh aways. The problem as I see it would be having enough weight on the rear end to hold the curves.
I like the truck idea
How about a ford ranger with a V8 350 chevy engine. It would be arocket on the straigh aways. The problem as I see it would be having enough weight on the rear end to hold the curves.
Long bed with a Tbird IRS grafted in. Then use the 350 and a long linkage or a auto to make a mid engine truck. This would work PERFECT, I cant think of any issues involved. Plus, you have more room in the front for 2 radiators. Then you shouldnt overheat at all!
Now Ive gone and made myself all cross-eyed.....
JWR991 wrote:I like the truck idea
Long bed with a Tbird IRS grafted in. Then use the 350 and a long linkage or a auto to make a mid engine truck. This would work PERFECT, I cant think of any issues involved. Plus, you have more room in the front for 2 radiators. Then you shouldnt overheat at all!
Currently in production, well kinda similiar.
Rabbit truck, Audi 5cyl turbo with Audi transaxle in the bed.
I am liking this idea however the ranger I have is a short bed. I am not sure you could mid mount the engine.
In the 80's we used to canyon race a 77 Toyota, first with a 20R then a 21RU exchange motor, and finally a 22R. That dang thing handled darn well and was wicked quick. It got the nickname the Green Goblin and was pretty well known up on Hwy 49 for a while.
Like anything else, you just gotta get used to driving it.
I am liking this idea however the ranger I have is a short bed. I am not sure you could mid mount the engine.
SHO Engine.
The car just won, so you are guaranteed a win with this! Cheatonium at its finest!
however chevy 350's are cheap carbureted engine with no electronics to fail Just need to keep them cool Also lots of cheap available parts to keep the cost down The trick is still weight distribution on the vehicle.
I didn't see the "good humor" ranger at Sears??? However the toyota with the V8 and tall exhaust stacks was COOL....sounded wicked too......I don't recall seeing it on track.....did it die before Sunday?
The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Why so little trucks?